Faerie Faerie

4-Charming Monsters

She sat at the table, struggling with her food as she ate one handed. It was very... good... but she was still wary of this strange man who was only named Wolfe. Her head was also very fuzzy when she tried to think of the details of her fall into the river.

"Phinny." his voice called her back to the real world.

"Hmm?" she looked at him. Wolfe grinned an almost charming smile.

"So you answer to Phinny? Then I shall call you that." He used a small knife to slice into the meat and toasted bread coated in fresh cheese.

"Where's the nearest Inn?" Phinny said, stabbing the sausage and holding it to her mouth as she bit it. "I appreciate all that you've done, but I should get going..." She said, her mouth full.

Wolfe shrugged. "Don't see how. Unless you're a lady of the night." he said. "Most of your supplies are gone, except for your knife, a some rope and the horse's saddle and bags. Your clothes are out on the lines." he said, slicing the meat again. He noticed the horrified look in her eyes. "It was windy yesterday, so your cloak is folded and on the dresser in the bedroom."

She chewed a few times, then swallowed. "And what exactly do you want for compensation." she said, putting the fork down. "Or did you already take it when I was unresponsive those two days with fever?"

He put down hi silver wear and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Nope. You might have fleas though."

"Excuse me!" she growled at him. He thumbed to the dogs, who had finished their meal and were looking at Phoenix and Wolfe expectantly.

She let out a yelp, her face screwed up in disgust. "You don't really smell like a bouquet of daisies yourself." he chimed. Wolfe stood up, clearing the table of dishes and silverware. He deposited them into a basin filled with water. "There's a wash room down the hall, it has a nice sized tub."

Phoenix sniffed the shirt and her face colored crimson. She frowned. Byron's head rested on her shoulder while she sat, the elk hound named Easterday had his head in her lap. She blew a raspberry at Wolfe.

"Fine. If you don't want to go bathe, then perhaps you could tell me what this is?" He held up the parcel that had caused all the trouble that started this entire ordeal. The wax paper and twine was torn a bit, but not open. Phoenix looked at the package. "Phinny?"

".....Refined metals. They were to show how good the mines were in Rutherlands." she said, rubbing Byron's head. "I wasn't paid, and therefore couldn't deliver it."

Wolfe undid the twine and low and behold, the package held quite and array of metals. They had been melted down into forms that were similar to coins, but had no specific markings of a Patriarch or institution. He frowned at them, barely touching the samples. ".....Iron?"

"For steel." she said. "It's becoming a hot commodity in the Colonies. Strong, can carry a current, and is durable for a matter of years."

He frowned still and used a long finger to push about the metals. "There is also silver and what is this?"

"....A new item... white gold I believe it's called." Phoenix rubbed Byron behind one of his massive ears. She was divulging important information, that she had sworn to secrecy weeks before, as effortlessly as picking apples. She blinked a few times, feeling a heavy fatigue come over her. "....They're probably going to come for me.... So I'd truly appreciate it if I could perhaps... work out something.... just to get me back home... I'd pay you back in full as soon as possible of course."

"If you leave in this state, you'll be caught." Wolfe placed the parcel on the table. He clicked his tongue and the dogs moved from her sides. "And I'm assuming... to my knowledge... Guild Master Durret wouldn't be searching this far down river. He'll think you dead before anything else."

Phoenix looked up at him. "The flooding is that bad?"

He nodded. "The route from here to town, at least the main one, is no good. The path through the foothills is nothing but landslides and eroded terra." Wolfe had a serious look about him that made Phoenix feel like she was getting scolded by an elder. This caused her to wonder exactly how old he was, and where his family was. Like, say, a wife or maiden that he had his fancy for. "Any roads here to town, would take one hours out of their way."

Phoenix stood up, using her right hand to balance herself. "Well, thankyou for the meal." she said, walking back to the bedroom. She felt along the clothes folded on the bed and found hers. They were in tatters, and sewn back together. They looked like pauper's rags. She sighed and felt along her red cloak. That was the only part of her clothing that was still intact. She found the hidden pouch easily and undid the threads to open it. A small glass jar, barely the size of two finger tips, fell into her palm.

She went to the washroom and stared at the tub. She uncorked the bottle with her mouth, and poured the contents into the basin. They sparkled and moved about like a low burn fire. As if the contents were alive themselves. She leaned with all her weight on the pump, then pushed the lever up with all her strength. Soon, water was pouring into the tub and mixing with the sparkling embers. The water turned opague, almost milk colored with a hint of pearl. The cold water that was pumped from the well, quickly warmly and swirled.

Wolfe fidgeted in the kitchen, catching the scent of things other than the human girl.  He looked in the direction of the washroom, but made no advances. He looked at the dogs sitting and canoodling on the floor. Licking eachother's faces and necks. He rubbed Easterday's head and laughed that he hadn't noticed sooner that she was a female.

The scent of old magic made him twitch and his head spin. He stepped out the house, taking in the fresh air to clear his senses. The last thing he'd need would be going feral in the middle of the day, sun shining and a few helpless entities too close for his comfort. Had he been a proper gentleman, Wolfe would have sent the girl to the midwife Debra who lived three miles away in the plains.

He snorted at the idea, and rethought it. Debra had four sons, and only two of them were married. She would probably try to set Phoenix up with either of her last two sons out of habit for her matchmaking skills.

There was Leona, and her sisters Ysolde and Prischae, but then he remembered they were gamblers and did not hang out with the most gentlemanly of folk. He rubbed his temples in aggravation. Wolfe chuckled darkly to himself, his other self soothe saying wicked things to him. "The scent of phoenix down on tender flesh.... tastier than the first firm peach of summer.... our fangs can tear her to shreds... lead those men here and.... deal with them accordingly..."

Wolfe tapped his fist to his forehead, slowly adding force. He stopped after he started seeing a few stars.When he opened his eyes, in the day sky that was dipping into the sunset, the moon peeked behind a set of blue and purple clouds. Full and round like an eye that was watching all of one's sins.

He had handled his other form perfectly fine, without incident of harm to the locals or their livestock. He had kept to the woods and their animals. Nothing was proven, no evidence found due to the other animals that picked up his left overs. He had been perfectly fine.

Until that girl peeked his interest. Her scent was different. Her attitude was harsh, but she had no secrets. She was like everyone else, so why did he suddenly want to bleed her dry?

A horn was blown. Byron and Easterday sat still on the floor. Easterday put her head down and hid her face. Wolfe looked at the road that lead from the East. As if they had brought the night on their heals, Guild Master Durret lead at least ten men on horses and fifteen hounds up the road to Wolfe's property.

Wolfe frowned a bit, his eyes stern. The crease in his brow shifted and the line on his mouth turned. He grinned a bit at them. "Guild Master Durret, to what do we owe the honour?"